Norfolk Birding

The weather was not so great on day two and three, but at least it didn't rain. I wandered to the sea and was delighted to see good numbers of Little Terns going past. These were joined by Common and Sandwich Terns. I had a distant Whimbrel on Arnold's Marsh, and the odd Bearded Tit in the reeds, but it certainly seemed a little quieter.

That said, it certainly got a lot better, when news of a Hoopoe came through, and just around the corner from my parents too. I was lucky enough to get a couple of shots of it on a roof, before it made off out of view. What a special bird.

You can view my latest adventures here:

Hoopoe

Little Tern

Sedge Warbler

Wheatear

Whimbrel

Bearded Tit

Bar-tailed Godwit

Wall Brown

North Norfolk Birding

I had a brilliant Bank Holiday at my parents in Norfolk recently. It's possibly the best time of year to visit this marshy coast line, as the reeds, pools, marshes and sea hold so many different varieties of wildlife all at once. Sedge Warblers were in abundance, singing constantly from their chosen bush or reedbed, while the accompanying Reed and Cetti's Warblers, Whitethroat, and Lesser Whitethroats all added to the cacophony.

There were plenty of waders on show too, with the Redshank particularly active as they defended their territories. These were supported by good numbers of Avocet, Ringed and Little Ringed Plover, Bar and Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Knot, Avocet and Curlew. Add in raptors such as Marsh and Hen Harrier and it really was a bird field weekend.

You can see my latest wanderings here:

Lesser Whitethroat

Little Ringed Plover

Garganey

Redshank

Reed Warbler

Ringed Plover

Sedge Warbler

Wood Sandpiper

Reservoir Woods

I took a walk around one of my favourite reservoirs and it's woodland last week, and it was alive with birdsong and wildlife. There was plenty to see, even if some of my subjects didn't make it easy. Their song always gave them away, and helped me locate them. 

There were Pied Flycatchers and Common Redstarts, plus some bonus birds like the Garden Warbler, Sparrowhawk and Common Sandpipers. It was a lovely sunny day, and the temperature lifted nicely too. 

I found some nesting birds, and others in good locations. So that all bodes well for when I return in a few weeks time, to hopefully find some of them feeding young.

Common Sandpiper

Great Crested Grebe

Mandarin Duck

Nuthatch

Pied Flycatcher

Common Redstart

Sparrowhawk

Whinchat on the Patch

I had one of those days that you dream about when walking around your local patch last week. I always walk around in hope of finding something good, and usually go away satisfied that I've seen much the same as the previous day, and if the sun was out too, then that's a real bonus. But this day I turned up and straight away I heard a Lesser Whitethroat singing in the hedgerow. A great little bird, that's not often that easy to see, and very rare on my patch.

Then I continued my walk, with all the usual suspects singing or in position, until I spotted a bird jumping around the top of the hedge. I thought it might be a Stonechat, but then I saw the stripe over it's eye, and knew instantly that this was a Whinchat. A much prized bird for me, and I was absolutely delighted. So much so that I went back again that afternoon to see it again, and this time it was even closer and the right side of the sun. Superb!! It was still there the next day, but much further away and a scope was required. 

You can see my latest wanderings here:

Lesser Whitethroat

Stonechat

Whinchat

Summer Migrants

This years migration is well under way. I've made several visits to one of my favourite places nearby in the Goyt Valley, and I've not been disappointed. Pied Flycatchers, Redstarts and Tree Pipits are back where they belong and I've had fun trying to locate them, with varying degrees of success. So far, I have only located one or two male Pied Flycatchers. The females are always a little later, so I will have to go back to find them. I've also only found a couple of male Redstarts, but they are great little birds, and add so much colour and vibrancy to any day. Tree Pipits are not so colourful, but they make up for that with their song. All in all, the woodlands have a lot more sound and colour at the moment, and it's most welcome 😀

You can see my latest wanderings here: 

Pied Flycatcher (male)

Common Redstart

Tree Pipit

Norfolk Birding

Still in Norfolk, and I was on the hunt for Twite once again. They gave me the slip on the first day, but I managed to find one at least on the second day. Really tricky little birds to find and see. The area where they were though meant I could see lots of other really good birds on the way. Lots of waders, such as Redshank, Curlew, Ringed Plover, Lapwing and Oystercatcher kept my walk both colourful and vocal.

The odd Marsh Harrier drifted over a few times, and Little and Great White Egrets were on the waters edges and close to the reeds. Although the sun was out, it wasn't particularly warm, but that hadn't put off a few Swallows and Sand Martins that passed through unfazed. A spoonbill appeared from nowhere, which was handy as I wanted that on my year list. A Wheatear hopped onto a post and looked like it was enjoying the sunshine, while in the Blackthorn were a pair of Blackcaps, with the male singing and giving away their cover.

You can watch my latest adventure here:

Female Blackcap, with a rusty brown head

Male Blackcap

Gadwall

Spoonbill

Twite

A distant Wheatear

Kelling Heath

A long Easter weekend break in Norfolk meant that I had the opportunity to add some special birds to my year list, and all from one site. The heath at Kelling holds a couple of really good birds, but they are not always that easy to see. Spring is the perfect time to catch a glimpse, as they are more active and showy while they are setting up territories and nest building. The two birds I most wanted to see were the Dartford Warbler and the Woodlark. 

If you can't see a bird, the next best thing is to hear it, which can at least give you an idea where it may be. That was how I located both these birds. I had wandered around for a while with no sign, until I heard their songs. That put me on the right track and eventually I spotted them. I love to see these birds, as they are not widespread across the country and so gives me an extra buzz when I do connect with them.

You can watch my adventures here:

Dartford Warbler

Woodlark

Not to be left out, the Yellowhammer was also high on my list to see. I really struggle these days to see these birds. They seem to be having a really hard time, and declining in their usual areas, so it was great to see and hear these lovely little birds.

Yellowhammer